Staff surveys are important, but only if they’re honest

How many companies do you know that complete staff/employee surveys every year? A lot, hopefully. But are they always honest?

Many businesses, even large corporations, send out staff surveys at the end of each year to assess their working environment, but too often the reliability of this feedback is questionable.

An ex-colleague of mine, for example, works for a well-known UK company. The company do an annual staff survey, always by paper, so forms have to be completed and handed to their manager before they leave the office to go out on their jobs.

Now, completing these surveys by paper isn't necessarily an issue, but handing them to the manager stops the feedback being anonymous. And, therefore, stops staff from saying what they really feel through fear.

The fact that they have to be completed before they can go out could also mean that they're ticking any box just to leave the office on time. Admit it, we've all done it from time to time.

Either way, it would render the feedback useless. And that's before you take into account that the forms could be edited, especially as management bonuses can rely on this feedback.

Another contact of mine works for a large retailer. Here, the staff surveys are completed via the staff intranet, with a member of senior management sitting with them to "help, if needed".